Torque converters having a turbine and an impeller are typically known to employ a pair of clutches, namely—an impeller clutch that is associated with the impeller, and a lock-up clutch that is associated with the turbine. While these clutches are provided to help engage or disengage: a) the impeller from an output shaft of a prime mover, and b) the turbine from the output shaft of the prime mover, most designs of such torque converters require two distinctly located pistons to accomplish an individual and/or independent actuation of the impeller and lock-up clutches.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,476 (hereinafter referred to as the '476 patent) relates to a torque-transmitting device that is connected to a prime mover unit and a speed-changing transmission. The torque-transmitting device includes a hydrodynamic torque-converter with a pump wheel, a turbine wheel and a stator wheel. The torque-transmitting device has a disconnecting clutch to uncouple it from the prime mover unit.
The '476 patent also discloses that the torque-transmitting device may be provided with a lockup clutch of an essentially known design in order to bypass the torque converter when the rpm of the prime mover unit exceeds a set, pre-determined rpm value so that the torque flow is conducted directly from the housing to the transmission input shaft. Further, the '476 patent also discloses that in an advantageous configuration, the lockup clutch is shaped, likewise, as a piston that may be of a design corresponding to that of the piston associated with the disconnecting clutch.
However, previously known systems may entail a larger space requirement as they include a dual piston arrangement and such arrangements are typically accommodated within housings of the transmission and/or torque converter systems.
Hence, there is a need for an apparatus that operates on a simplified method for controlling a torque converter while also occupying lesser space to accommodate the clutches and associated pistons.